Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Read by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date. Check the sources, and tell us if you spot a mistake. What this site can't tell you Read by hand. We read Perth's own documents for this site in October 2026; the Sources page lists which ones. The comparisons with other places still come from the Province's yearly reports.
The money · 2024
How Perth's money works
A town is a bit like a household. Money comes in (mostly taxes and grants), and money goes out to pay for services like roads, fire trucks and the arena. Here is what that looked like in 2024, the latest year the town has reported to the Province.
Why 2024 and not this year? A budget is a plan. These figures are what actually happened, checked by an auditor and reported to Ontario. The 2025 report is not out yet.
Money in: $20.4M
Where the town's money came from in 2024.
Perth revenue by source, 2024
47%
23%
Property taxes$9.6M47%
Money from Ontario (no strings)$1.5M7%
Grants for specific projects$1.7M8%
Fees people pay$4.8M23%
Late fees and fines$745K4%
Other$1.2M6%
Everything else$882K4%
Show as a table
Category
Amount
Share
Property taxes
$9,585,377
47.0%
Money from Ontario (no strings)
$1,517,500
7.4%
Grants for specific projects
$1,692,731
8.3%
Fees people pay
$4,773,902
23.4%
Late fees and fines
$745,234
3.7%
Other
$1,197,455
5.9%
Everything else
$881,623
4.3%
Total
$20,393,822
100%
What each source means
Property taxes
What home and business owners pay each year, based on what their property is worth.
Money from Ontario (no strings)
A yearly grant from the Province that the town can spend on anything. Small rural towns get more.
Grants for specific projects
Money from Ontario or Canada that must be spent on a certain thing, often a road or building.
Fees people pay
Water and sewer bills, dump fees, arena rentals, permits and similar charges.
Late fees and fines
Interest charged on late tax payments, and fines.
Other
Interest earned, donations, sales of land and equipment.
Money out: $16.2M on services
Day-to-day spending in 2024, by service. On top of this, the town recorded $3.2M of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.
Perth spending by service, 2024
22%
23%
21%
17%
Running the town office$3.6M22%
Police, fire and safety$3.7M23%
Roads and snow$1.4M9%
Water, sewers and garbage$3.4M21%
Parks, arena and library$2.7M17%
Planning and business$1.4M9%
Show as a table
Category
Amount
Share
Running the town office
$3,630,499
22.4%
Police, fire and safety
$3,680,703
22.7%
Roads and snow
$1,416,208
8.7%
Water, sewers and garbage
$3,370,464
20.8%
Parks, arena and library
$2,701,561
16.7%
Planning and business
$1,420,046
8.8%
Total
$16,219,481
100%
Police, fire and safety
$3.7M
Paying for police, the fire department, building inspectors and by-law officers.
+10% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)
Police, fire and safety broken down
Police (OPP contract)$2.0M+8%
What the town pays for policing.
Fire department$662K+72%
Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.
Traffic court$406K−41%
Handling tickets and fines.
Building permits$343K+124%
Checking that new buildings are safe.
Court security$127K−28%
Security at the courthouse.
Conservation authority$60,605+22%
A regional group that manages rivers, flooding and wetlands.
By-law and animal control$32,763
Enforcing town rules, like noise, parking and dogs.
Emergency planning$2,606
Getting ready for floods, storms and other emergencies.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Change
Police (OPP contract)
$2,047,058
+8.4%
Fire department
$661,712
+72.1%
Traffic court
$405,885
−41.1%
Building permits
$343,117
+123.6%
Court security
$126,957
−28.3%
Conservation authority
$60,605
+22.3%
By-law and animal control
$32,763
–
Emergency planning
$2,606
–
Running the town office
$3.6M
Council, managers, the clerk, accounting, computers, insurance and the town hall itself. Every town needs some of this, but it does not fix a road or put out a fire.
+47% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)
Running the town office broken down
Office and administration$2.1M+68%
Office staff, finance, IT, insurance, legal and the town hall. Towns share this cost out across other services.
Senior management$1.0M+26%
The top managers who run the town day to day.
Council$508K+22%
Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Change
Office and administration
$2,105,857
+67.8%
Senior management
$1,016,984
+26.3%
Council
$507,658
+22.2%
Water, sewers and garbage
$3.4M
Clean tap water, the sewer system, garbage pickup, the dump and recycling.
+30% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)
Water, sewers and garbage broken down
Water treatment$1.2M+15%
Making lake or well water safe to drink.
The dump (landfill)$577K+112%
Running the landfill, and saving up to close it safely one day.
Sewer pipes$534K0%
The pipes that carry sewage away from homes.
Recycling$420K+70%
Recycling and composting.
Other environment$321K+6%
Other environmental costs.
Garbage pickup$226K+52%
Trucks that collect garbage.
Storm drains$67,458
Drains that carry away rain water.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Change
Water treatment
$1,224,429
+14.7%
The dump (landfill)
$577,291
+112.0%
Sewer pipes
$534,481
0.0%
Recycling
$420,122
+70.2%
Other environment
$320,912
+6.3%
Garbage pickup
$225,771
+51.7%
Storm drains
$67,458
–
Parks, arena and library
$2.7M
Parks, the arena, the pool, sports fields, programs and the library.
+26% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)
Parks, arena and library broken down
Arena and buildings$1.4M+30%
The arena, pool, community centre and halls.
Programs$339K+7%
Classes, camps and activities.
Library$325K+28%
The public library.
Museums$318K+43%
Local museums.
Parks$287K+21%
Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.
Arts and culture$1,674
Festivals, arts and heritage.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Change
Arena and buildings
$1,431,613
+30.5%
Programs
$338,581
+6.9%
Library
$324,807
+27.7%
Museums
$317,549
+42.8%
Parks
$287,337
+20.6%
Arts and culture
$1,674
–
Planning and business
$1.4M
Deciding what can be built where, and trying to bring businesses and visitors to town.
+32% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)
Planning and business broken down
Business and tourism$796K+13%
Attracting businesses and visitors, and helping local shops.
Planning and zoning$625K+67%
Deciding what can be built where.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Change
Business and tourism
$795,503
+12.9%
Planning and zoning
$624,543
+67.0%
Roads and snow
$1.4M
Fixing and paving roads, bridges and culverts, ploughing snow, and street lights.
+31% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)
Roads and snow broken down
Paved roads$899K+38%
Fixing and repaving paved roads.
Parking$236K+82%
Town parking lots and meters.
Snow ploughing$164K−24%
Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.
Street lights$117K+40%
Power and repairs for street lights.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Change
Paved roads
$899,056
+38.4%
Parking
$236,306
+81.8%
Snow ploughing
$163,660
−24.1%
Street lights
$117,186
+39.6%
What the money bought
The same 2024 spending, sorted by what it paid for rather than which service.
Spending by type
Staff pay and benefits$7.4M
Wages, benefits and pensions for town workers.
Outside companies$5.1M
Work the town pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.
Supplies and utilities$3.1M
Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.
Money given to others$229K
Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.
Rent and money costs$161K
Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.
Interest on loans$141K
The extra money paid to lenders for money the town borrowed.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Staff pay and benefits
$7,429,967
Outside companies
$5,118,623
Supplies and utilities
$3,140,098
Money given to others
$228,806
Rent and money costs
$161,331
Interest on loans
$140,656
Staff
People on the town's payroll at the end of each year, as reported to the Province.
Year
Full-time
Part-time
Seasonal
2019
47
18
20
2020
47
18
19
2021
50
20
34
2022
50
20
34
2023
52
15
39
2024
52
15
39
How things have changed since 2019
Money in compared with day-to-day spending, each year. When the orange line is above the blue one, the town spent more than it took in and made up the difference from savings or loans. Grants for big projects arrive in some years and not others, which makes "money in" jump around.
Money in and day-to-day spending by year
Money in
Day-to-day spending
$0$5.0M$10M$15M$20M$25M
$20.4M
201920202021202220232024
Show as a table
Year
Money in
Day-to-day spending
2019
$18.4M
$12.7M
2020
$17M
$12.1M
2021
$17.1M
$11.7M
2022
$19.3M
$15.2M
2023
$19.3M
$15.3M
2024
$20.4M
$16.2M
Town property tax
Up 24% since 2019. Prices rose 18%.
Town property tax by year
$0$2.0M$4.0M$6.0M$8.0M$10M
$9.6M
201920202021202220232024
Show as a table
Year
Town property tax
2019
$7.7M
2020
$8.1M
2021
$8.2M
2022
$8.7M
2023
$9.0M
2024
$9.6M
Savings (reserves)
Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.
Reserves by year
$0$5.0M$10M$15M$20M
$12.9M
201920202021202220232024
Show as a table
Year
Savings
2019
$11.6M
2020
$14.6M
2021
$18.5M
2022
$17.6M
2023
$16M
2024
$12.9M
What the town owes
Long-term loans plus short-term (temporary) loans at year end.
Debt by year
Long-term loans
Temporary loans
$0$2.0M$4.0M$6.0M
$4.9M
201920202021202220232024
Show as a table
Year
Long-term loans
Temporary loans
2019
$4.3M
$0
2020
$3.9M
$0
2021
$5.9M
$0
2022
$5.3M
$0
2023
$4.8M
$0
2024
$4.9M
$0
Building new things
Spending on new or rebuilt roads, pipes, buildings and equipment, compared with how fast existing ones wear out.
Capital spending and wear by year
Built or bought
Wore out (amortization)
$0$2.0M$4.0M$6.0M$8.0M
$6.2M
201920202021202220232024
Show as a table
Year
Built or bought
Wore out (amortization)
2019
$2.5M
$2.5M
2020
$1.4M
$2.6M
2021
$932K
$2.6M
2022
$4.8M
$2.8M
2023
$7.2M
$3.1M
2024
$6.2M
$3.2M
Source: Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), Schedules 10, 40, 51, 60, 70, 74 and 80 (archived copy). Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Retrieved 2026-10-01. Figures are what the municipality reported to the Province for each year, prepared on the same basis as its audited financial statements.
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